Anthony Joshua stunned Francis Ngannou with a knockout to put an end to any possibility of a surprise upset and move him one step closer to his dream of becoming a three-time world champion.
With a powerful right hand in the opening round, Joshua knocked Ngannou to the ground.
He twice took out the former UFC heavyweight champion in the second round, and the last strike rendered Ngannou unable to move forward.
In a spectacular blitz, Joshua took the former UFC champion to the canvas three times.
Ngannou was destroyed by one of the sport’s most vicious right hands, and his leg buckled as he fell in the center of the ring.
Early in the bout, the former unified world champion showed off his remarkable quickness, stunning Ngannou with a powerful right punch and gaining control with deft maneuvers.
Joshua took advantage of Ngannou’s southpaw stance in the second round, twice taking him down with strong right punches that left him unconscious and in need of medical care.
Joshua’s career-best knockout comes after his recent noteworthy victories over Otto Wallin and Robert Helenius. It rekindled his desire to compete for a global championship.
All eyes in Saudi Arabia had been on the prize, because victory meant a shot at the undisputed heavyweight title, which would be up for grabs for the winner of Tyson Fury vs Andrew Usyk.
With this win, Joshua now has a 28-3 career record and makes a strong statement, especially to Tyson Fury, who was there at ringside.
Check out the video below:
— FIGHTZCENTER (@fightzCenter) March 9, 2024
